Keren stood before the panel with her hand on the rise lever. Norman sprang across the room and jerked her aside as the ship sailed out of the clearing and plowed through the tree tops. "I've had enough of your tricks, lady!" he said through clenched teeth.
"No, handsome!" Keren cried. "You've got to get us away from here!" Before he could right the ship she took him from behind and pinned his arms to his sides.
"You fool!" Norman yelled, twisting her hands from him. "We're going to crash!" But the woman fought like a panther, black eyes blazing. Controls gone wild, the ship rolled over on its side, and bumped heavily down into the shadowed mire and ground to a halt.
"You crazy witch!" Norman got to his feet, eying the sloping floor and the smoke curling up from the leaves under the ship. The rockets had set the woods on fire. His port rise-rockets dangled, a twisted mass of tubes. "Why'd you do this?" he demanded, facing her with itching fists. "Who was that fellow back there? Talk," he ordered, "before I slap your painted face off!"
Her eyes were like a half-tamed cat's. "I'm not talking, handsome."
Norman looked into her black eyes and ice formed in his heart. "So that was one of Sade's men back there."
The outside speaker was still on and in the silence came the crackle of flame as the wind fanned the jungle fire into a rage of orange tongues around the ship. The thermo glass instantly turned black and its faithfully expanding seams began pushing inward against the heat.
Into the room came the hissing of a giant snake. The glass was suddenly drenched with a misty green liquid.
Antipyrol!
The fire went out as Norman jumped to the window and a silvery bulk floated down into the jungle beside them.